How To Help Your Child Set Goals For Practice
Musicians love to play, but when it comes to practice, it can sometimes feel a bit elusive.
We know that practice is key to growth as a musician, but there are times when it can feel like we’re not making progress, even after putting in the work.
I’ve seen this with my students – they’ll play through a piece from start to finish, making mistakes along the way, but will neglect to stop to fix anything. They repeat the same mistakes the next day and so the path to improving is much slower.
This is where we, as educators and parents, can make a big difference. By teaching kids how to set goals and practice effectively, they can start to see real improvements.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through practical steps to help your child set goals and focus their practice to make tangible progress.
Step 1: Identify What You Want to Accomplish
The first step to effective practice is knowing what you want to achieve. Encourage your child to set specific goals and write them down in a notebook or music journal. Their goals will depend on their interests and what they need to work on if they are taking private lessons or are in a school music program.
For example, maybe your child needs to learn all twelve major scales – write it down. Or they want to learn one new song each week – write it down and name the tune.
The key is to make the goal clear and specific. The more concrete the goal, the easier it will be for them to stay focused and motivated.
Step 2: Plan When You Will Practice
Setting goals is an important first step, but the real challenge comes with following through. This is most often where students get stuck.
Help your child plan when they will practice, and encourage them to be consistent. It can help to actually block out practice time on the family calendar. Be specific about the time and place for practice, and make sure they stick to it.
Step 3: Set an Action Plan
Once the goals are set and practice time is planned, the next step is creating an action plan. This is where kids sometimes get confused – there’s a big difference between just playing through a piece and actually practicing it. During practice, the goal is to make progress.
Before your child starts a practice session, help them break the goal down into smaller, manageable steps. Writing down an action plan for each session can make this even clearer.
For example, let’s say your child wants to learn Vivaldi’s Sonata in A minor for cello. Here’s how they might break it down:
- In the first session, focus on learning the notes for the first 8 measures of the first movement.
- In the second session, work on rhythm in those measures and make sure the notes and rhythm are together.
- In the third session, focus on adding phrasing and bowings.
By practicing with a clear plan, your child will stay focused and make real progress.
Step 4: Reflect
After each session, encourage your child to reflect on what went well and what needs improvement. This reflection will help to guide the next session and keep their goals fresh in their mind.
This simple feedback loop – reflecting after each practice – will help your child stay on track and continue to improve.
Conclusion
By setting clear goals, scheduling practice time, breaking those goals into smaller steps, and reflecting on their progress, your child will start to see real improvements in their playing. With your support, they’ll feel more confident and empowered in their musical journey, and the results will speak for themselves.